Carbon-guide for electric lamps.



No.-7l5,643. Patented Dec. 9, I902 1 W. J. DEMING.

CARBON GUIDE FOR ELECTRIC LA IIPS.

(Application filed July 12. 1902.)

(No lodoi.)

WITNESSES:

[NVENTOR 7/ 6/ mil/EJ361212) By F S I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. DEMING, OF MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIS.

CARBON-GUIDE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,643, dated December9, 1902.

Application filed July 12,1902.

T0 60% w/wnt it nutty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DEMING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Murphysboro, in the county of Jackson, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbon-Guides forElectric Lamps, of which the followingis a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a carbon-holder, and particularly to a deviceto hold the carbons of an arc-lamp in alinement with each other andprevent the moving thereof when the lamp is moved by wind or from anyother cause.

The invention has for an object to provide a guide slidably mounted uponthe side rods at the opposite sides of an electric-arc lamp and providedwith apertures to permit the free passage of a carbon through the guide,while the latter is frictionally held upon the rods of the lamp toprevent movement under ordinary conditions, but to permit movementthereof when the socket for the carbon reaches and presses against theguide. 7

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth, and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

, vation of an arc-lamp having the invention applied thereto with thebase in section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig.1, showing the clamp; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the guidehaving the position of the carbons indicated by dotted lines.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

The present invention is adapted for application to any form ofarc-lamp, but in this case is illustrated in connection with aconventional form of lamp having the opposite side rods A extendingbetween the casing A, which contains the feeding mechanism for thecarbons B, and the base A which is provided with sockets Afladapted toreceive the carbons 13, disposed at the lower portion of the lamp. Thecarbons B are secured within suitable sockets B and the parts areadapted to operate as usual in two-carbon lamps, wherein the current isautomatically switched from one set of carbons to the other Serial No.115,343. (No model.)

when the first set has become consumed. The guide 0 is formed ofnon-conducting or insulating material and mounted at its opposite endsupon the guide-rods A by means of clamps O, which may be of any desiredconstruction-for instance, as shown in Fig. 2, where they are composedof split jaws 0 adapted to be drawn together by a thumbscrew 0 for thepurpose of exerting a frictional resistance to the movement of the guideupon the rod Aby gravity. This guide is composed of a body portion 0,having at its opposite ends guide portions 0 each of which is providedwith an aperture G of greater diameter than a carbon, so as to permitthe free passage of the carbon therethrough, while the free ends of theguide portions are secured to the clamps C, so that when the parts arein the position shown in Fig. 1 the guide is retained against movement,while the carbons travel freely through the same, but are held againstlateral movement out of alinement with the carbons B beneath the same.

In the operation of the invention the current may be assumed to bepassing through the right carbons B and B, the former of which is feddownward by any desired means and passes freely through the guide untilthe socket B upon the feed-rod B reaches the guide, which then overcomesthe frictional resistance of the clamps C and O and carries the guidedownward until the right clamp O rests upon the base, at which time theleft end of the guide will properly guide and hold the left carbon Bover its companion B. As is well known, the upper carbons in these lampsare consumed twice as rapidly as the lower ones, and therefore the rightsocket B engages the guide and carries it downward into the positionshown by dotted lines at D, where the position of the socket isindicated at D. At this time the current is switched automatically tothe left carbons by any ordinary shifting means connected to thecarbon-feed in the casing A, and in the continued feed both sets ofcarbons burn while the guide continues downward by the pressure of thesocket of the right carbon until it reaches the base, as indicated bydotted lines at E, the socket being represented at E when the rightcarbon is consumed and extinguished. At this time the socket of the leftcarbon has traveled downward, as shown by dotted lines at E so that thepoint of arc isstill below the guide, as shown by dotted lines at E As arule the right upper and lower carbons are completely consumed and theleft lower carbon mostly consumed after a nights burning, so that theremaining upper left carbon is removed and placed in the base for thelower carbon for the following night. It will therefore be seen that theshoulder B moves downward and rests upon the right side of thecarbon-guide, carrying it to the position shown at D when the leftcarbon is switched in, and then continuing its downward movement untilit reaches the position shown at E, when the left side of the guide willcontinue to protect the left carbon until consumed and the carbonscontinue to burn after the guide reaches the point E, there being auniform downward feed of the left carbon through the guide. Anotherfeature of great importance is the fact that the guide when it reachesthe base A prevents any further burning of the lower-carbon stubs, whichare supported in the iron frame of the lamp, and if burned down in theirsockets would fuse and injure the lamp, thus causing great expense andtrouble in repairs. It will furthermore be seen that this guide supportsthe carbons in alinement, and it is not necessary to set the feed soheavily as to prevent its continued and free operation, as the feed maybe adjusted in the most desirable manner and any oscillation or lateralmovement of the carbons effectually prevented by means of the guideherein disclosed.

It will be obvious that the guide may be applied to any character oflamp to support a carbon therein and that changes may be made in thedetails of construction and configuration of the guide Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carbon-guide, the combination with an electric-arclamp havingopposite side rods, of carbons parallel thereto, a movable insulatedguide slidably mounted upon said rods and provided with an aperture forthe passage of a carbon therethrough, and a clamp for said guide adaptedto exert a frictional resistance upon said rods to prevent the movementof the guide by its own gravity; substantially as specified.

2. In a carbon-guide, the combination with an electric-arc lamp havingopposite side rods, of duplicate sets of carbons supported parallelthereto, a movable insulated guide comprising horizontally-disposedapertured ends in different planes and an intermediate vertical portionconnecting the ends of the holder and means carried by said ends toprevent movement thereof by its own gravity; substantially as specified.

3. In a carbon-guide, the combination with an electric-arc lamphavingopposite side rods, of duplicate sets of carbons supported parallelthereto, a movable insulated guide comprising horizontally'disposedapertu red ends in different planes and an intermediate vertical portionconnecting the ends of a guide, and a frictional clamp upon each end ofthe guide embracing the side rods of said lamp; substantially asspecified.

4. A carbon-guide comprising an insulated body having at opposite endsguide portions disposed at a right angle to the body and provided withapertures to permit the passage of carbons through said guide portions;substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. DEMING.

